How do you make an agricultural insurance claim?
To make an agricultural insurance claim in Kenya, report the loss to your insurer or agent within 24 hours, keep the dead animal or damaged crop for inspection, and let the insurer's vet or loss assessor examine it. Then send the claim form, the report and photos. Insurers must settle within 90 days of full documents; index covers pay automatically.
Livestock claim: step by step
- Call within 24 hours Tell your insurer or agent as soon as an animal dies or goes missing. Late notice is a common reason for refusal.
- Keep the carcass Do not sell, slaughter or bury it before the vet arrives. Disposing of it first can void the claim.
- Photograph the animal Take clear photos of the carcass showing the ear tag or other identification.
- Vet post-mortem A registered vet examines the animal and writes the post-mortem report and cause of death.
- Send the claim form and documents Claim form, vet report, photos, and for theft a police abstract.
- Decision and payment The insurer confirms the claim, you sign a discharge voucher, and payment of the insured value less the excess follows.
How claims differ by type of cover
| Cover | Who inspects | How the loss is measured | When you are paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Livestock and dairy | Registered vet | Post-mortem and the insured value | Days to weeks; theft after a recovery period |
| Poultry | Vet | Mortality records and post-mortem on a sample | After the vet's report |
| Crops (indemnity) | Loss assessor | Affected acreage and yield or inputs lost | Often at harvest; total loss may be paid for replanting |
| Greenhouse | Loss assessor | Repair cost of structure and polythene, crop at cost of production | After the assessment |
| Index cover | Nobody | Rainfall, pasture or area-yield index | Automatically after the season |
- Who inspects
- Registered vet
- How the loss is measured
- Post-mortem and the insured value
- When you are paid
- Days to weeks; theft after a recovery period
- Who inspects
- Vet
- How the loss is measured
- Mortality records and post-mortem on a sample
- When you are paid
- After the vet's report
- Who inspects
- Loss assessor
- How the loss is measured
- Affected acreage and yield or inputs lost
- When you are paid
- Often at harvest; total loss may be paid for replanting
- Who inspects
- Loss assessor
- How the loss is measured
- Repair cost of structure and polythene, crop at cost of production
- When you are paid
- After the assessment
- Who inspects
- Nobody
- How the loss is measured
- Rainfall, pasture or area-yield index
- When you are paid
- Automatically after the season
Documents checklist
- Completed claim form, signed.
- Policy number and proof the premium was paid.
- Vet's post-mortem report or the loss assessor's report.
- Photos: the carcass with its ear tag, or the damaged crop or greenhouse.
- Police abstract for theft or malicious damage.
- For crops: planting date, acreage affected and your yield or input records.
- Any salvage sale receipt (carcass or damaged produce).
- Your ID, KRA PIN and M-Pesa or bank details for payment.
Why farm claims are refused
Most refusals come from the policy conditions, not the cause of loss. Avoid these:
- The carcass was buried, sold or slaughtered before the post-mortem.
- The animal had no ear tag, bolus or matching photo.
- The loss was reported days later instead of within 24 hours.
- The cause was excluded: starvation, feed poisoning, mastitis or a disease the animal had before cover started.
- Animals strayed or disappeared without forced theft, or no police abstract was given.
- Drought damage on an irrigated crop, or planting outside the agreed window.
- A false answer on the proposal or claim form, which can forfeit the whole claim.
Your rights and the timelines
Insurers must settle a general insurance claim within 90 days of it being fully documented, and the Commissioner of Insurance can extend this by up to 30 days. Index-based and microinsurance claims follow their own rules.
Source: Insurance Act (Cap 487), s.203
Under the Insurance (Microinsurance) Regulations 2020, crop and livestock microinsurance may insure up to KES 500,000, cost no more than KES 40 a day, and claims must be paid or rejected within 10 calendar days.
Source: Insurance (Microinsurance) Regulations 2020 (LN 26 of 2020)
Any insurance customer can complain to the Commissioner of Insurance at the IRA about an insurer or agent. The Commissioner's decision binds unless it is appealed to the Insurance Appeals Tribunal.
Source: Insurance Act (Cap 487), s.204A
If an insurer collapses, the Policyholders' Compensation Fund pays each claimant up to KES 500,000 from 1 January 2026, double the previous KES 250,000.
Source: Business Daily, reporting the Treasury/PCF announcement
If an insurer is placed under statutory management, payments can be frozen for months; the Policyholders' Compensation Fund then pays up to KES 500,000 per claimant.
If a claim is refused or underpaid
- Get the reasons in writing Ask the insurer which condition or exclusion it relied on.
- Check the policy and valuation Compare the reasons with your policy wording and the vet's valuation.
- Send more evidence A second vet's opinion, photos, records or a corrected form.
- Complain to the IRA The Commissioner of Insurance decides; the decision binds unless appealed to the Insurance Appeals Tribunal.
How Naveah helps when you claim
Right first time
We tell you what to keep and photograph before the vet arrives.
We chase the insurer
Vet visits, assessor reports and documents, followed up until you are paid.
Fair valuation
We check the settlement against your insured value and excess.
Help with disputes
If a claim is refused, we help you challenge it and, if needed, take it to the IRA.
Frequently asked questions
How soon must I report a dead animal to the insurer?
Within 24 hours, or immediately, depending on the insurer. Call before you move, sell or bury the carcass: disposing of it before the vet's post-mortem can void the claim.
Who must do the post-mortem?
A registered veterinary surgeon, usually one the insurer appoints or approves. By law a vet certificate is invalid unless a registered vet signs it.
How do I claim for stolen livestock?
Report the theft to the police straight away and get an abstract, then tell the insurer. Insurers that cover theft usually deduct 20% of the loss and may wait about six weeks in case the animals are recovered. Animals that simply disappear or stray are not paid.
How do I claim on index insurance?
You don't. When the season's index triggers, everyone insured in the unit is paid automatically by M-Pesa, bank or e-wallet. Make sure your registration details are correct.
How long does an agricultural insurance claim take to pay?
By law a fully documented general claim must be settled within 90 days, extendable by 30. Microinsurance claims must be paid or rejected within 10 days. Good livestock claims are often decided within days: one insurer decides within 3 days of documents and pays within 5 working days.
How is a crop loss assessed?
For indemnity cover the insurer's loss assessor inspects the field, measures the affected acreage and estimates the yield lost or the inputs destroyed, often comparing neighbouring farms. Some losses are settled at harvest; a total loss early in the season may be paid so you can replant.
How much will I be paid for a dead cow?
The insured value from the vet's valuation, less the excess, which is usually 10% of the loss. For a cow insured at KES 150,000 that means about KES 135,000. Theft usually carries a 20% excess.
What can I do if my claim is refused?
Ask for the reasons in writing, check them against your policy, and send any missing evidence, such as a second vet's opinion. If the insurer still refuses, complain to the Commissioner of Insurance at the IRA; the decision binds unless appealed to the Insurance Appeals Tribunal.
What happens to my claim if the insurer collapses?
The Policyholders' Compensation Fund steps in and pays each claimant up to KES 500,000 from 1 January 2026, but payments can be frozen for months while an insurer is under statutory management.
Can I claim when wild animals destroy my crops or livestock?
Most crop and livestock policies leave wildlife damage out. The state route is a claim to the County Wildlife Conservation and Compensation Committee, which pays only if you took reasonable steps to protect the crops or animals.
Lost an animal or a crop?
Call or WhatsApp us now. We tell you what to keep, who to call and which documents the insurer will need.
Licensed by IRA · No obligation · We reply within 1 hour
Sources (9)
- Kenyan insurers' livestock pages and brochures, checked 18 October 2026
- Insurance Act (Cap 487), s.203
- Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Para-Professionals Act 2011, s.28
- Insurance (Microinsurance) Regulations 2020 (LN 26 of 2020)
- Insurance Act (Cap 487), s.204A
- Business Daily, reporting the Treasury/PCF announcement
- Kenyan insurers' livestock pages, checked 18 October 2026
- ILRI, with the State Department for Livestock
- Wildlife Conservation and Management Act 2013, s.25
Facts and published prices checked 18 Oct 2026; last reviewed October 2026 by Naveah Capital. Rates shown are published bands, scheme figures and market estimates before levies, not a quote or a promise. Naveah Capital Insurance Agency is an IRA-licensed insurance agency in Nairobi; this page is general information, and your policy wording decides your cover.
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